A hot chocolate and a burning tongue
by xipeek
Summary: Faberry. Quinn finds how to put her thoughts into actions.


**A/N**: Faberry, enjoy and please review :)

It's Saturday afternoon and no one's here. One would think that a café would attract many people on a windy Saturday afternoon. And yet Quinn is the only client sitting in a booth in the far corner of the room. She has a hot chocolate in front of her but hasn't taken a sip yet. It's burning. Sometimes she likes to drink it even if it's too hot, because she likes to feel that burning sting on the tip of her tongue. Not today though, today she needs something sweet and comforting. She's glad no one is here except from the bartender. She likes to think in silence, and today she needs to think, a lot. They came back from New York a week ago and she's confused. Santana has finally admitted she was in love with Brittany in front of the whole club. Quinn would lie if she said she wasn't genuinely happy for her friends. It also reminds her of how alone she is. People aren't lining up to love her. Then Rachel and Finn got together and eventhough she hasn't anymore feeling for the boy it felt like a slap in the face. Another way to tell her she'd once again fail to make something work. Rachel broke up two days after, because she had realized that having Finn until they graduate wasn't enough. She knew they were going to break up when she would go to NY, and she didn't want to make it more difficult than it already had been. So she broke up. It's sad and pathetic to admit, but knowing that Rachel is alone too makes the blonde feel better. They're together in their loneliness. She doesn't know if it really helps at anything, but it's something. Plus she's got a soft spot for the girl. She admitted it to herself recently enough not to always be comfortable thinking about it. But today is okay, because today she's thinking things through, and Rachel is on the list. Rachel, who is just walking in, making the bells hang out the door ring in a joyful christmasy way, even if it's only May. She smiles when she sees the blonde and Quinn feels a weight on her chest disappear and smiles back. They're friends now. They're just friends, but it's just now, so you never know.

"Hi" Rachel says quietly not to disturb the calm atmosphere of the café.

Quinn makes a sign at the bartender, pointing at her hot chocolate and when he nods, she turns her attention back to the brunette who is sitting in front of her. The tables are small and their knees bump into each other but neither of them moves. They're close to each other, Quinn knows she could almost reach Rachel's face without getting up. She could cup her face and…

"How are you?" Rachel asks because she likes it when they're sitting together silently but not today, today they have to talk. Quinn shakes her head out of her reverie.

"Okay I guess" Quinn answers, chocolate still untouched.

"It's getting cold." Rachel remarks, nodding towards the blue mug. "I thought you liked it burning hot" she said, eyes getting back up to Quinn's face.

"I like a change" she answers, because she doesn't know where to start. She hopes Rachel sees it, the hint, the invitation. And then because she wants her to see it but she doesn't want it to look like a desperate call, she keeps on going.

"Lots of things have changed this year. Like, we're friends now." She pauses, looks into Rachel's deep brown eyes, waits for a nod, a smile, a sign that confirms what she just assumed. Rachel does both, she smiles, nods and even voices it.

"Yeah, we are."

The bartender arrives silently, puts another mug in front of Rachel who thanks him, and leaves as silently as he arrived. Rachel looks back at Quinn, expectation in her eyes.

Quinn takes the clue to continue. "And I realized I don't need to be prom queen to be someone, despite what my mother keeps telling me." She's fidgeting with her hands, eyes down on her mug. She looks back up and smiles shyly when she adds "That's mostly thanks to you actually." Rachel smiles back, reaches across the table and takes her hand so she doesn't twist her fingers in every way possible anymore.

"I don't get it." Rachel says, earning a worried look from the blonde. "I mean, Finn, Puck, Sam… didn't they tell you the right words ever? Didn't they see you?" Quinn shrugs and Rachel keeps going, eyes locked with her friend's. "You need to stop looking for people's forgiveness and start by forgiving yourself Quinn. You hurt them, they hurt you and it's just normal, we're teenagers. We don't know what to do, what to say…We don't even know what we want most of the time!" Quinn squeezes Rachel's hand but says nothing because she knows she's not finished, and people have that bad habit of never letting Rachel finish her sentences. Rachel talks a lot, but it's just because she needs twice as many words as another person would to get to the point. Quinn is used to it now. "You're a good person Quinn, and if they hurt you and let you hurt them, it's because they didn't really see you. Maybe you didn't let them…I don't know. But you're a good person, you should know that. And I like you a lot, and maybe it's just because you're letting me see you that way, but I like it, _that_ way."There, that was the point.

"I can't count how many times I sent someone to slushie your Rachel."

Quinn is used to compliments, she's used to people telling her that she's pretty, that she's got a nice voice, that she could be prom queen. She's used to shallow compliments. Then there're Rachel's compliments. And they're harder to take because they're true, and not shallow. And also because Quinn spent a good time of her high school resenting the girl for no valuable reason. She knows now, she knows that Rachel felt like a threat to her, whether it was for Finn and her or just for herself.

Rachel smiles sadly, takes a sip of her hot chocolate and winces because of the burn it just left on her tongue. Quinn fails her plan of the day, doesn't think and before she knows it, she's pressed against the table to reach Rachel's lips. One of her hand is still in Rachel's and the other just cupped her cheek. She kisses her softly, willing to ease the burn, to ease the pain. Rachel pulls her in, her free hand behind her neck. She doesn't feel the burning sting anymore, quickly replaced by the sweetness of Quinn's tongue. Quinn tastes the chocolate and the heat, and enjoys the no-thinking feeling. When Rachel lets go, she slowly draws away, her back leaning against the booth.

"I'm sorry" she says.

"What about?" Rachel asks worriedly.

Quinn doesn't really know, because she liked the kiss and she wants to do it again, so she just answers the first thing that goes through her mind. "The burn?"

Rachel laughs and Quinn feels like she can take over the world. She stands up, sits by Rachel's side and captures her lips again. She doesn't think when she kisses Rachel, she just feels. But then, it's the only thing she's been thinking about for a while now, so maybe today is not a failure. Maybe she's finally managed to put thoughts into actions. And nothing screams victory more than the slight smile Rachel has against her lips when her hands grip her waist and pull her as close as possible.


End file.
